ComFest

June and July are a busy time for Columbus’ Goodale Park. The park hosts events such as “Pride Festival” and the Fourth of July spectacular, “Red, White, and Boom”. However, no event compares to the uniqueness and size of ComFest. Comfest (Columbus’ Community Festival) is the largest independent, volunteer-run festival in the United States. Over 25,000 individuals flood the 32 acre park each year to listen to live music, buy goods from local vendors, browse the art showcase, or just participate in the festival’s slogan to “party with a purpose”. Since its establishment in 1972, the event is completely run and organized by volunteers. ComFest has over 2,000 volunteers each year to ensure the three-day festival is a success. At its core, the event is all about celebrating and giving back to the community. In the past 6 years, ComFest has awarded over $300,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations.